Earlene Brown facts for kids
Earlene Brown at the 1960 Olympics
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | July 11, 1935 Latexo, Texas, U.S. |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Died | May 21, 1983 (aged 47) Compton, California, U.S. |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 251 lb (114 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Shot put, discus throw | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Spartan Women's Athletic Club Compton Track Club |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | SP – 16.69 m (1960) DT – 53.91 m (1960) |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Earlene Brown (born Dennis; June 11, 1935 – May 1, 1983) was an amazing American athlete. She was famous for her skills in track and field, especially the shot put and discus throw. Earlene also had a cool career in roller games.
She competed in three Olympic Games: 1956, 1960, and 1964. At the 1960 Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the shot put. She also placed fourth in the discus throw in 1956.
Contents
Earlene Brown's Life Story
Earlene Brown was born on July 11, 1935, in Latexo, Texas. Her father was a tall man who played semi-pro baseball in the Negro leagues. Earlene was an only child.
In 1938, her parents separated. Earlene moved with her mother to Los Angeles, California. This was part of a big movement of African-Americans from the Southern United States to California.
Early Days in Sports
Earlene started playing sports with the LAPD Deputy Auxiliary Police. This program began in 1943. She was very good at the basketball throw. This skill helped her get into the shot put event later on.
While she was at L.A. Jordan High, some coaches noticed her talent. They tried to get her to join the team for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. But Earlene was "too busy going to dances" at the time!
Becoming an Olympic Athlete
In 1956, at age 21, Earlene joined the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). By then, she was married to Henry Brown and had a baby boy named Reginald. He was born in November 1955.
Earlene began weight lifting with coach Des Koch. Steve Seymour, a javelin expert, coached her in shot put and discus. Seymour believed Earlene could win a gold medal. He wanted to send her to the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
Earlene and her husband could not pay for her training. So, Brad Pye Jr., a sports editor, helped raise money for her. Soon after, Earlene and Henry separated. Her son Reggie stayed with his grandmother. To support herself, Earlene started studying to become a hairdresser.
Olympic Success and Friendships
From 1959, Earlene trained with the Tennessee State University "Tigerbelles." Their coach, Ed Temple, also coached the U.S. Olympic Women's Track and Field Team. Coach Temple helped Earlene get ready for the 1960 Olympic Games.
Earlene became close friends with Wilma Rudolph, another famous athlete. At the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Earlene won the bronze medal in the women's shot put.
At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Earlene faced challenges. It was windy and rainy, and she lost her footing. This made it harder for her to perform her best.
Meeting Russian Athletes
In July 1964, Earlene hosted some Russian shot-putters in Los Angeles. These included Galina Zybina and Tamara Press. Even though she didn't speak Russian, they had a good time.
One place they visited was a bowling alley. Earlene was known for playing "pot bowling," where the winner takes all the money. She showed the Russian athletes how to play this American sport.
Life After Track and Field
Earlene retired from shot put in 1965. That same year, she started a new career as a roller skater! She became a "blocker" for the New York Bombers Roller Derby team. People called her the "Brown Bomber."
In 1975, Earlene retired from all sports. She went back to working as a beautician. She passed away on May 1, 1983, in Compton, California, at 47 years old.
Earlene Brown's Track and Field Achievements
Earlene Brown made history in track and field. She was the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the shot put. She was also one of only two U.S. women to place at the Rome Olympics. Earlene was the only shot-putter to compete in three Olympics in a row.
She was the only American woman to win a shot put medal until Michelle Carter won gold in 2016. Some people have called her "the most unheralded U.S. athlete of all time." Her main events were the shot put and discus throwing.
Setting Records and Winning Titles
At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Earlene finished in the top ten in both shot put and discus. She also set new American records in both events.
Earlene was a national champion many times. She won the shot put eight times (1956–1962 and 1964). She won the discus three times (1958, 1959, and 1961). In 1958, she was ranked number one in the world. She was also the first American woman to throw the shot put over 50 feet.
In 1959, she won gold medals in both the shot put and discus at the 1959 Pan American Games. On December 1, 2005, Earlene Brown was added to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. This happened after she passed away.
Earlene Brown's Roller Games Career
After her amazing track and field career, Earlene Brown started playing roller games in 1965. She began her skating journey with the Texas Outlaws and New York Bombers teams.
Earlene was almost 6 feet tall on skates and weighed over 250 pounds. She quickly became one of the most feared defensive skaters. Her special move was called "the bear hug."
After a short break, Earlene returned to roller games. She skated with the famous Los Angeles Thunderbirds. At this time, people started calling her "747" because of her large size and weight. Earlene finally retired from roller games for good after the 1975 season.
